Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
by belle-noire20
Summary: A tale of a young boy whose journey to find a beloved friend, led him to a parallel world in peril...[Chapter 7] Link struggles to catch the Bombers' Gang. Meanwhile, The Stock Pot Inn's innkeeper is having problems of her own... please R & R
1. The Beginning

**Prologue**

* * *

_The forest was in darkness. The trees and plains were still and were not disturbed by the blowing winds. The ground's surface was veiled by a light mist, it was as if these woodlands were in a peaceful slumber and were never to be awakened by the sun's rays. And with the sleep came a feeling of emptiness. This forest seemed to have no sense of movement or flow._

_And then there was a fairy._

_The sudden presence of this forest sprite slightly lit up its surroundings with its glow. "So what are we doing here again, Tael?" its feminine voice fussed. "I doubt that we'll be able to find anything around here. We're far away from home!"_

_Another fairy, only with dark light, appeared beside the first. "I saw Skull Kid going into this forest earlier." Tael explained. His voice was calm. "He's been gone for a while, Tatl. We need to find him before something happens to him."_

"_Skull Kid came to this ugly place? I swear he gets into more trouble than I do! What could have gone through his head? Wait 'till I find him-"_

"_Shhh. I think I hear something."_

_Tael was right. There were distant sounds of rustling bushes and snapping twigs, and those sounds drew closer towards the two fairies quickly. Something was coming. Tatl and Tael then caught a glimpse of an unusual 'child'. It had no face, yet its red eyes and mouth, which looked somewhat like a beak, contrasted against the dark. And its ripped clothing looked more like straw. This creature was an example of what happens to children who wander, and lose their way after entering forest:_

_A Skull Kid._

_Skull Kid was jumping happily and doing cartwheels around the plain. "I found one! I found one!" he said between giggles. "I finally found a mask!"_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

**Link's P.O.V**

"_Hyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaa!" _

I thrusted my blade towards my opponent and both of our swords clashed. I could feel that my whole mouth was dry as I gasped for breath. Sweat was dripping down my cheeks. My eyes were locked on my opponent, who was the commander of the Hyrule Castle guards. Sir Bartel was his name. Of course, I was about half his height, and he was equipped with more armor than the regular palace guards.

I was slowly being pushed back as Bartel was forcing his sword against mine. My legs were starting to swell up from trying to withstand him. But then I was able to slightly push his blade back, and I swung my sword around as I rotated in a circular motion, performing a weak spin attack.

Bartel took a few steps back, and I charged at him with a horizontal swing. After my sword hit his risen shield, I jumped back. My heart was beating at a fast pace, and both Bartel and I were exhausted. I was expecting another attack from him, but instead he brought his sword into his sheath.

"That will be enough for today." Bartel said with a smile.

I put my weapon away and gave Bartel a small bow. I was still panting, so tried to relax and took deep breaths. Then I felt a little heavy and had an urge to sit down. This training with Bartel lasted about an hour, and I needed a break.

Bartel brought me a bucket of cold water and a towel, and I washed my face. It felt very nice.

"Say boy, I must say you've gotten pretty good. You're quite skilled as a swordsman for your age."

I nervously scratched the back of my head at Bartel's comments. "Well, I have you to thank, Sir Bartel. I've learned many things from you when we train like this."

"It was my pleasure. But, I suppose it's no surprise that you are a natural at this. Many castle guards are impressed and quite taken with you." Sir Bartel let out a soft chuckle. "So what is next for you, young lad?"

"I'm heading towards the forests in the east. I have an important errand to do."

"Ahh, I see. Then I wish you luck on this errand of yours, Link. I hope your travel to the forest will be productive."

"Thank you Bartel…I hope so too." With that, I excused myself from the commander and exited through the gates of the training grounds. I soon found myself lost in my thoughts as I walked along a hallway.

The forest was where I needed to go, where I needed to search for her. How long has it been, three months? More or less I suppose, when she left towards the first light of the sun, without saying goodbye... I need to find her.

Navi, guardian fairy of Kokiri Forest…and a dear friend.

Then I stopped.

I was in the castle gardens, and I immediately I saw a familiar face standing within short distance from me. Zelda took a step forward and smiled. "Link…" she said in a soft tone. I waited for her to finish, then I saw that tears were forming in her eyes. I wasn't sure of what to do at that point.

"Zelda…" I quietly said.

When the young princess finally realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks, she quickly wiped them away and she nodded her head. "Link, I'm just happy to see you, is all." She then said to me. "I've heard from the castle guards that you've been doing well with them. I'm glad for you."

Zelda look up to the sky, and I followed her gaze. There were no clouds- the sapphire heavens were beautiful. Its radiance sparkled on the water's surface against the palace walls, and the air's warmth touched the grass of the courtyard.

"Another gorgeous day…" I heard Zelda say. "Every day, I pray that days like this will last for as long as they can. It shows me that realizing a time of peace is a precious thing."

"We have gone through many things, haven't we?" I was referring to an adventure that I would never forget. It was destiny that chose the heroes of Hyrule. My fate was revealed when I first drew the blade of evil's bane. The Master Sword chose me to be the Hero of Time. I was to face a sinister man from the sand regions in the west- the king of evil who had once haunted my dreams.

Ganondorf's lust for power had turned him into a hellish monster, when he was consumed from the power he had obtained from the goddesses. My strengths, along with the seven sages, and been enough to seal him in the sacred realm, his eternal prison. And our fight to restore light upon Hyrule had been won.

I took out the object that was the key to call upon that destiny, the Ocarina of Time. Because of this, I can no longer look at things the way that I used to. It changed me, and I'm still not sure whether it was for better or for worse. I held it out for Zelda to take. She looked as if she was curious to why I was giving the ocarina back to her.

"It belongs here, with you." I told her.

I began to feel uneasy when Zelda stared at me for a moment, then she finally let me rest the Royal Family's ocarina in her hands. We stared at each other silently. Zelda had a straight face but more and more, to me her facial expression showed that she was slowly beginning to realize something. Then she said, "Something is on your mind, Link. Is anything wrong?"

"No…at least, not really…" I took a deep breath and sighed. My eyes narrowed to the ground. "I'm going…on a journey to the forest. I need to do something important…"

"What is it?" Zelda's voice sounded almost worryingly.

"I'm looking for a special friend of mine…the one who has helped me throughout my adventure some time ago…"

"Your fairy friend…" I finally faced Zelda. She didn't look at all surprised, but then it was her turn to look down. "And so, you are already leaving Hyrule for another journey…" I heard her whisper. She then quickly faced me again. "Oh, I'm sorry. It just feels as though…I've known you all my life. But know that it was only a short time ago that we met…"

I didn't say anything to her. Zelda look away and watched the water flowing. "You once told me that the forest can be a pathway to many places." I nodded to her, then Zelda turned back to look at me and held out the ocarina of time. "Then I wish for you to bring this ocarina with you. I want this journey of yours to be a safe one."

Zelda brought her ocarina to her chest. "Link…I am praying for you. I am certain that this fairy means a lot to you, and I have a feeling that the ocarina will be of use to you on your travels. This ocarina can serve you in unexpected ways, and it will protect you. Please take it with you."

I couldn't refuse her. "Thank you, Zelda." I said. When she gave me her ocarina, I saw her smile at me. But her eyes had a hint of sadness. I had to say something.

"I'll be fine. I'm sure that I'll find Navi, and I will return afterwards. You don't need to worry about me." I smiled to reassure her, which seemed to have worked. Zelda's graceful smile had made her own sadness disappear.

"…Please come back." She whispered.

I nodded. "I will."

_

* * *

__He sat on a dry, molded tree trunk, with a heart-shaped mask in his hands. It was lined with a few cone-like prickles, and its eyes- along with the face's markings, brought an unusual feeling to it. The Skull Kid kept staring at it with fascinated eyes. "This mask looks pretty cool." He said. "What do you guys think?"_

"_I dunno, Skull Kid." Tatl answered. "It looks kind of weird. How did you get that mask again?"_

"_I found it."_

"_You found it, WHERE?" Tatl was getting somewhat impatient, then Tael motioned to her to calm her down._

"_I just found it somewhere in the forest. Do you think people will like it if I wear it at the carnival?"_

"…_It's hard to say." Tael quietly spoke. He then flew closer to Skull Kid. "There's still lots of time before that day comes, Skull Kid. Do you want to try and look for another mask?"_

_Skull Kid gave the two fairies an angered look then brought the mask to him, as if he was hugging it tightly. "I like this mask!" he nearly shouted. "I don't want another one. This one suits me just fine!" he then got off of the tree trunk and looked to the mask again for a few minutes, before finally saying, "…let's go back to town."_

_His two fairy companions stayed behind him as he started to walk along the murky trails of the forest. One of the fairies turned to face the other. "What do you think **that** was all about?" Tatl asked. Tael didn't answer. He drifted off after the forest imp, and Tatl found herself following him soon after._

_At that moment, Skull Kid couldn't help but be drawn by the new mask he had. It felt as though he was caught in an embrace by a strange force, as he held the mask in his hands. He stopped walking, making Tatl and Tael bump into him from behind. The child didn't seem to hear Tatl's shouts; he was more focused on the mask. Skull Kid's facial expression suddenly looked lifeless. He slowly brought the mask to his face. When there was contact, he collapsed on the ground._

_There were suddenly harsh winds blowing, and both Tatl and Tael panicked when they flew to Skull Kid. Tatl was ramming the fallen imp, trying to wake him as Tael kept circling around him._

"_Hey! HEY! SKULL KID WAKE UP! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" Tatl cried. The next thing she knew, she was grabbed into Skull Kid's hand. The child of the dark forest regained his consciousness and slowly stood back up. When he let the fairy out of his grip, she distanced herself from him. Tael was still 'dancing' around him._

"_Skull Kid, are you okay?" he asked gently. But he and Tatl froze when a heard a silent, but devious giggle coming from Skull Kid. Although his eyes were hidden behind the mask he wore, they seemed so mischievous. "Are you okay?" Tael repeated, this time more worryingly._

"…_I'm just peachy…" Skull Kid's voice was almost wicked, neither fairies had time to flinch when he disappeared along with them into the obscurity of the forest…_


	2. Moon Eclipsing the Sunset

**Chapter 2: Moon Eclipsing the Sunset**

**Link's P.O.V**

_(Three months ago)_

_The moon eclipsing the sunset._

_That sight would have been very rare in Hyrule, at the time when the land was tainted by darkness' touch- Ganon's touch. I could not go through a whole day without thinking what that man has done to cross me. For the longest time, I wondered why I was granted this fate. Did being the Hero of Time really have to come with such a price? The lost of my friends, as well as my life, that was what happened the moment I pulled that blade from its resting place, within the Temple of Time. _

_The Master Sword._

_The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. Ganondorf alone was not to blame for what happened to me, the Master Sword did more than enough to ruin me. It had to go on and choose me for its master; it was only until later on I realized there was a catch to this. Sure, it might have seemed like I had control over the blade of evil's bane, but that was when I didn't pay attention to what was actually happening. Just as I was a pawn for Ganondorf to get to the Sacred Realm, the sword manipulated me so that it could get to the source of evil._

_I was the tool, not the Master Sword. That was the truth. _

_Well, the sword got what it wanted, Ganon's defeat. If the Master Sword had the ability to choose the person that would be the Hero of Time, did it also have the sense to see what was happening to me? My first childhood that I lived was a lie; I was believed to be a Kokiri when I was actually a Hylian. The friends I had then, had to suffer at the hands of Ganondorf because of the choice the Master Sword had made. And I also lost seven years of my life for the same reason. I have felt pain in every possible sense there was. I felt so close to the breaking point; it was a time when I believed that what I was doing was pointless._

_Then I realized that I would only let Ganondorf win, and let him deprive me of anything I had left. That thought and much of Navi's help and convincing were the only things that kept me going through my adventure, and to handle the will of the Master Sword._

_The words 'first childhood' that I said before were key._

_After the battle against Ganon was over, Zelda was the one who helped to regain my childhood. She told me that it was what she needed to do in order for her to make up for the misfortunes that happened to me, as well as for Hyrule. The only thing I was left to do was to return the Master Sword to its place of slumber, something I was relieved to do. But I had to wonder if the Princess of Destiny knew that going back to reclaim what I had, wasn't that simple. _

_The land of Hyrule had its peace restored, the moment the moon appeared within the sunset._

_I was standing in front of the Pedestal of Time, staring at the Master Sword in my left hand. Navi appeared to be floating gently around me, but at the same time, the way she fluttered her wings she seemed somewhat hesitant. "Link..." she called softly. I didn't bother to face her. "Link... w... what do you think will happen to us once we go back in time?"_

_I wasn't really focused on Navi's stuttering. I lifted the hand that held the sword, continuing to stare at it with disgusted eyes. "The only thing I'm thinking about this very moment, Navi..." I wanted my guardian fairy to have a hint of what I'm feeling when I spoke in a low and slightly dark tone. "...Is that I'm just glad all of this is finally over and done with."_

"_...I see..."_

_I then forced the Master Sword into the pedestal, and a bright light instantly surrounded me. I closed my eyes, as I slowly felt more and more relaxed, as if I was taking a little nap._

* * *

I sat on the steps leading to the Temple of Time, thinking about those moments three months ago. Looking back on it, I have a new outlook on the people that I've known. From time to time, I ask myself if I should return to my home in Kokiri Forest, but knew that if I did, I would eventually leave the forest again. 

When Navi left my side, she seemed as if she was sad about something. I remember she would go off to find a place to think to herself when she was upset, and would be with me afterwards. It was a month ago I started to worry about her, when she didn't come back to me. I once used the Fairy Ocarina that Saria gave me, thinking that it would help Navi to find her way back to me if she had gotten lost. After that didn't work, I used my ocarina to talk with Saria and to ask if she had seen Navi or if she had heard anything that might help to find her. She told me that had not, even after asking the Great Deku Tree Sprout about it.

That's when I decided to look for my little pixie friend. Navi had stuck by me through my past adventure; the least I could do is be there for her if there was anything troubling her. Maybe I was the reason she had left me in the first place, but then what have I done that forced her to do that? If that was the case, then I would do anything to make amends with her.

"Fairies inhabit the forests, right?" I said to myself. I stood up and stared at the pond by the staircase. "Then the forest might be my best bet right now."

I raised my head to face the busy streets of Hyrule Castle's market place. Then I thought that I might as well stock up on supplies. I made my way to the main square and went for the Bazaar. I wasn't thinking of purchasing major things; maybe a few Deku nuts will do.

As I walked into the building, I saw only a few people inside. But there was one man who caught my attention. He was rather big, bald, and had pale skin with a tattoo on his left arm. He only wore a pair of blue pants that looked a little worn out. He stood in front of the counter facing the owner of the store, holding a huge bag in his hands. I was able to hear their conversation as I advanced towards them.

"I'll only tell you this one more time," said the shopkeeper. By the look of his face, he seemed rather annoyed about the person in front of him. His eyebrows were arched and his hands were clenched on the counter. "I'm will not accept these worthless beans of yours! Now get out of my shop right this minute!"

"Worthless you say? You are missing out on something extraordinary, but it's you're lost if you don't want these magic beans."

So that man was a seller. When he left the store, I thought I heard the owner mumble something about being relieved that man was gone. After leaving him a few minutes to calm down, I eventually purchased a handful of Deku nuts and left the building.

Once I stepped outside, I immediately saw a small horse wagon passing by. When it stopped at a nearby stall, it suddenly hit me that I'm going to need a horse for traveling. _'I guess Lon Lon Ranch is my next stop.'_ I thought as I smiled.

"It's been a while since I've visited the ranch. I wonder how Malon and Epona are doing..."

"Were doing just great, Fairy Boy!"

I didn't have time to turn around after hearing that familiar voice from behind me, when Malon jumped to give me a hug. When she let go of me, I took the chance to examine her. She hadn't changed at all. She still had the same bright blue eyes and smile, and the natural red hair flowing down to her shoulders. It was strange how Malon's sudden presence put me in a good mood.

"Well aren't you going to say hello, Fairy Boy? Or did my surprise hug do more than enough to make you speechless?"

I slightly blushed, and put a smile at the farm girl's bubbly attitude, then I answered, "It's nice to see you too, Malon."

Malon kept her smile, but gave me a suspicious look. "Only _'nice'_? We haven't seen each other in months, and you say it's _'nice'_ to see me?" When Malon moved closer to me, I nervously took a step back. "Am I not that important for you to come and visit us at the ranch?"

I was sure I was about to start sweating after I gulped and uttered, "N...n-no, that's not it at all... uh... what I meant was..."

I then saw Malon stepping back as she burst out with laughter. "Don't mind me, Fairy Boy. I'm only teasing!" I tried to hide me sighing from her. After I heard a strange growl from my stomach, Malon's giggles quieted down. "So you're hungry I hear. How about having something to eat when we get back at the ranch? Would eggs and fruit be alright with you?"

When Malon mentioned going back to Lon Lon Ranch, I thought it would be better to go with her, rather than walking the whole way there. With a smile, I finally gave my answer. "That sounds great, Malon."

"Perfect!" said happily before taking my hand. " This is great. My father is getting the wagon ready. We should get back to the ranch this afternoon."

'_This afternoon?'_ I repeated in my mind. I looked up at the sky and I could easily tell that it was already midday. But then I felt Malon pulling me as she led the way to the entrance of the city.

* * *

_It was that time._

_When the moon was placed within the sunset._

_The mere sight of the blasted thing was disgusting. How could any living being find such a scene enjoyable? That's only because they don't realize what the true meaning of that time of day was; the very thing that makes it detestable. It was the moment when 'you' ruined my life, leaving me when I needed you. I begged. I **pleaded** for you to return to me, and you chose the lives of others rather to spend time with me. But you don't see what I see in these low lives. They hate us. They hate ME! I had to suffer under my inferiors, from the way they had treated me, and you have done nothing to help me. _

_I had to fend for myself. I wanted to show everyone what happens when they hurt me. I only wished for them to feel the same heartache and torment that I had gone through. But you... you just had to go against me. You went out of your way to defend these people from me, without **considering** what they have done. Then I understood why you did it; you wanted peace. Your meaning of peace was a world without me, and so you threatened to destroy me._

_How dare you call yourselves my friends!_

_You have fulfilled the peoples' wish- your wish. You have gotten your peace, and stole mine at the same time. And now I have returned after what seemed like an eternity, and I have grown stronger. I wonder if you already feel my presence within this land, because I will come for you..._

_When the moon is placed within the sunset... we will play the game..._

* * *

I grabbed the last piece of cantaloupe from my bowl with a fork, and brought it to my mouth. I could taste its sweet watery flavor as I chewed; I had to admit it's been a while since I had a decent meal. Once I had finished the eggs and fruits, I headed for the cucco pen. I found Talon with a bucket in his hands, and feeding the cuccos. He looked a little tired, which wasn't surprising to me. I went to give him a tap on his shoulder, and he nearly dropped the bucket when he startled. 

Talon turned swiftly to face me. "Hey, Link! How was the food? I'll get you something else to eat if you're still hungry..."

"No thank you, Talon. I'll be fine." I interrupted him. After noticing how quiet the house was, except for the chickens, I asked Talon where everyone was.

"Ingo is at the storehouse fixing the horse wagon. He should be coming in the house soon. And Malon is at the stable taking care of the horses."

That's right. I had completely forgotten about Ingo. Then I remembered his short temper and how he would complain about having to work so hard on the ranch. I had to ask Talon, "How is Ingo doing?"

"Ingo is doing just fine, m'boy. He's a big help around the ranch, I don't think the animals would be in such good shape without him."

I didn't know what to think from Talon's answer. I then gave him a nod and walked outside to head for the horse stable. I saw Malon stroking the beautiful coat of a familiar horse in its huge pen. I remember that the red head once told me how she would nurture this horse as her one and only friend, as if Malon was its mother. That thought then gave me an uneasy feeling. What would Malon think if I asked her for her lovely horse, Epona? As I approached the two of them, Malon turned to me with a cheerful face.

"There you are, Fairy Boy. I just realized you haven't seen Epona since you got here. My don't you say hello?"

Malon motioned for me to pet the young horse, but when I took a step towards her, she

flinched and tried to trot back to the corner of the pen. Epona refused to face me. "...What's happening?" I asked Malon. "Shouldn't Epona recognize me?"

"She probably doesn't. After all, you two haven't seen each other in a long time." The country girl put a finger to her chin before uttering, "Do you still have your ocarina with you?" I instantly knew where she was getting at, but I let her finish what she wanted to say. "Why don't you try playing her song to her? Epona might remember you if you do."

I nodded and reached into me pouch for the ocarina of time. I placed it to my lips and as if on cue, Malon had started to sing Epona's song. Her melodious voice seemed to have demanded that others listen to her. I didn't notice until after a few moments of listening to the soft lullaby, that Epona slowly came back to Malon. As she kept singing she pointed her finger at my ocarina, and I knew she meant that I play my ocarina. The sound of us singing together seemed... enchanting.

Epona was calm, as if she was in a trance, then I took a chance to touch her face. When I got close to her, the horse surprised me when she rubbed her face against my cheek. It tickled. I heard Malon's giggles beside me; I couldn't help but smile too. But what surprised me more was the look of Epona's eyes. They seemed to have a lot of emotion in them...

A thought suddenly came to me. _'Was she trying to ...tell me something?'_ Then I gave her a smile as I went to stroke her mane. She remembered me.

"I knew it would work!" Malon said brightly. "Epona is already warming up to you." It was Malon's turn to pet her horse. Without looking at me, she then asked, "So what brings you to the stable, Fairy Boy?"

That question caught me off guard, but what I managed to say was, "I have a favor to ask you, Malon."

"And what might that be?"

I hesitated before answering; "I wanted to come to the ranch for Epona."

Malon's eyes showed surprise. She took one short glance at Epona, than looked back to me. " ...You're here for Epona? But...why...?"

I tried to be careful of how I was going to explain this to her. "Do you remember Navi, my guardian fairy? You didn't notice that she is no longer with me, did you? I want to go and look for her... because I haven't seen her in a long time. That's why I need Epona..."

"... I... understand... Link..."

**_That_** got my attention. Malon doesn't call me by my real name very often. She turned back to petting Epona and stayed quiet for a few moments. When she turned to face me, she gave me a smile and went to take my hand.

"We'll need do something first."

* * *

"Do I really have to do this?" 

"It's for your own good, Link. And who knows, you might thank me in the near future."

With a sigh, I mounted on Epona's back. Malon got me to help her set up fences on the racetrack. To be truly honest, I didn't mind her getting me to ride the young mare on an obstacle course; it's been a while since I went horseback riding, maybe this would do me some good. Malon had led me, along with Epona, around the racetrack so that I could get a familiar sense of it. During that time, Epona had walk as though she was showing off her pride.

"I just want you to run one lap around the track." Malon ordered. "It shouldn't be too challenging for you. Just remember to keep up the pace when you jump the high fences, okay?"

I nodded, then patted Epona's neck as we stood at the start of the course. "Are you ready, Epona?" I asked. Her ear twitched and she snorted, as if she was responding to me. I smiled at her then faced the course.

"GO!"

Epona and I had taken off at a pace fast enough to jump the first few fences. I could hear Malon's distant cheering. When I saw a fence past an upcoming turn, I held onto the lower sides of Epona's neck and shifted my hands, making the horse face the turn head on. Once we had made the turn, I gave Epona a slap on her rear; that signal was meant for her to gain speed for jumping a high fence.

"Good girl, Epona!" I managed to shout; I felt sharp winds blowing in my face.

Epona hadn't lost her speed after that turn, and we've successfully jumped over a few more fences along a straight path. By then, I notice that we've gone through half of the course. When the last sharp corner was within my sight I slowed Epona down, trying to get ready to charge at the last fence at full speed. "Get ready for this last turn, girl!" I told Epona. "This is going to be tricky!"

I listened for the pattern of the horse's feet against the ground as I waited for the right moment. The minute we turned the corner, I hit Epona's rear again and we ran straight for the high fence. Our last jump was flawless. We refused to slow down until after we had crossed the finish line.

"Great job, Epona!" I cried as dismounted her and stroked her mane.

"You two did great!" Malon went to give another one of her hugs, only this time I was ready, and welcomed her embrace with open arms. "I told you that you wouldn't have a problem, Fairy Boy!"

When Malon pulled herself away from me, she faced me with a smile, and made me blush. She had probably noticed; she gave a light chuckle, which ruined my attempt to hide my blush. "Does this mean Epona can come with me?" I then said, trying to bring up something to focus on.

Her giggle grew into a laugh. "Of course you can! But you're probably wanting something to eat after that obstacle course, and rest too."

Right then I noticed from the color of the sky that evening had already came. The sun had set below the horizon; the sky seemed to be turning from a brilliant rose, to a passionate purple. I turned back to the farm girl and said, "I guess we should go back to the house, huh?"

"...I don't want to just yet." Malon then grabbed my hand and led me to the side of the house, beside the cucco pen. I heard Epona following behind us. There was a giant crate next to a lone tree, where we eventually sat down. "Um... what are we doing here, Malon?" I was curious to why she didn't want to go inside the house.

"Can't you see it, Fairy Boy? Take a look over there!" I followed to where Malon had pointed and I saw the full moon appearing faintly in the sky. "Isn't it beautiful?" Malon continued.

"Yes, it is." I agreed. I smiled at Epona's sudden noise, as if she wanted to make a comment. We all sat quietly as we watched the moon eclipsing the sunset...


	3. Departure

**Chapter 3: Departure...**

**Link's P.O.V**

_Nothingness…_

_For a moment, he wasn't sure whether he was even on earth or in the heavens. After taking a thorough glance at his surroundings, he came to a conclusion that he was in some sort of white void. Only hollowness seemed to fill the air. But this emptiness didn't last long. He watched as a soft silhouette was slowly developing in the vacant space. _

_At the midst of the shadow, an image of a familiar figure surfaced, and stood within arms' reach from him. He vaguely saw that the one in front of him- the young girl slightly shorter than his height- was recognized as Zelda. He stared in puzzlement at the phenomenon. He was motionless and openmouthed as he struggled for the right question to ask her. But his thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the princess holding her precious ocarina in her hands. _

_Zelda gave him a brief smile and whispered a few words, which he was unable to hear. Then she brought the instrument to her lips, and began to play a soothing, yet somber melody. He was immediately familiarized with this song. But too soon did his vision become blurry and began to fade away. _

_Everything seemed to shroud in a strange fog…_

"Come on, Fairy Boy. You need to wake up."

I tried my hardest to keep my eyes closed when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. After spending a few moments admiring the stars in the sky last night, Malon had offered me her bedroom as a place to sleep, and she would spend the night in the dinner room. I didn't agree to her proposal at first, but she insisted. I could feel that my limbs were numb when I stirred in bed, with its soft sheets resting on my back. Then I was forced to open my eyes when I suddenly felt the warmth of sunlight hitting my face. Malon must have opened the window shutters in the room.

"Does it have to be right this minute?" I asked exhaustedly. During my time in Kokiri Forest, being able to instinctively determine the time of day was a natural sense to me. It was early in the morning. I started to feel a little cranky, but not because of the early awakening. The dream I had last night still caught my interest; me wanting to stay in bed was to try to find out what that dream had meant.

"You're the one who told me you wanted to get a good start this morning, otherwise you won't be able to get to the forest by sundown! Wake up, or I'll have to try using one of my father's special cuccos to help you..."

"Alright..." I groaned. I don't anyone in this world would want to hear a screeching cucco in the ear at daybreak. "Alright... I'm awake..." I slowly sat up, and ran my fingers through my hair. After grabbing my hat from the wooden bedpost, I went to gather the rest of my things. Malon pointed her finger to a corner of the room next to a small chest of drawers, where my kokiri sword and shield were placed, then she waited patiently outside of the room for me to put on my boots. As soon as I was ready, Malon quickly came back to face me.

"Now why don't you head downstairs to get some nourishment in that stomach of yours? My dad is fixing us some crepes with bacon for breakfast. How does that sound?"

I had no idea what those sorts of foods were, but I knew better than to turn down Malon's _invitation_ to having breakfast, so I agreed to stay for that. Malon took my hand and led me down a large staircase that was leading to the first floor. The next room was the dinner room, and the table was already set once we got there. I watched as Talon placed a plate of food onto it, and I couldn't help but breath in a tasteful aroma that the food had carried. It conveniently caused my stomach to rumble deeply. Both Talon and his daughter lightly chuckled at the sound.

"Well, don't let your breakfast get cold, m'boy." Talon said with a cheerful smile. "Go on hand help yourself."

That was my cue to take a place at the round table. As I did so, I looked at the plate of food in front of me. The crepes- as Malon called them- were very thin. They were folded and topped with a soft melted substance called butter. I noticed that something else was melted on the crepes, and Malon told me that it was sugar when I asked about it. At the side was few sliced pieces of dried meat, I guessed that's what bacon was.

I first took a piece of crepe and brought it to my mouth. I found its fluffiness sweet, but scrumptious none the less. The bacon was just as good. After a few more mouthfuls, I noticed that Malon didn't take her place at the table, and I asked her if she was going to join in having the meal. She gently shook her head. "I have something to do outside. I'll be back to eat in a little while."

Malon left the room before I had the chance to ask her what was it she needed to do. I looked to Talon to see if he might have an idea, but he simply told me not to worry about it when he got himself a plate of food and helped himself.

* * *

A soft-blowing wind traveled across the ranch fields. The sapphire sky was clear and without a cloud in sight. Although the scenery was beautiful, I wasn't really in a bright mood at the moment. 

When Malon came back to the house to have breakfast, things were going quite well. She had been getting me to engage in simple conversations with her and her father. Ingo soon joined the dinner table, and we all had enjoyed that moment of relaxation. That was a first time in a while that I felt peaceful and happy. But even then I knew that those feelings wouldn't last long. Soon after breakfast, Talon and Ingo began to work, and Malon had gotten quiet as the two adults left the house. I noticed that she seemed bothered by something, and I had a feeling that it had to do with her errand earlier this morning.

Right now I was waiting at the entrance of the ranch. Malon had gone to the stable to get Epona ready for me. It was time for me to leave. I was about to head over there to check on how she was doing, when I heard light trotting and footsteps coming towards me. I looked to where the stable was, and saw the farm girl walking out with her young horse. When Malon stopped to look at me, she put on a smile, but this smile wasn't like her usual ones that showed her cheerfulness. I was able to trace what looked like… sadness… in her smile. Was she upset to give Epona away to me?

That's when I realized something. I have always kept in mind that finding Navi was what was most important for me, but it was only until now that I realized I haven't thought about how long I would be on this journey. Epona was Malon's closest friend on the ranch. She practically treats the horse as if it was a human being. Maybe I should have taken that fact more into consideration. Another thing was the ranch itself. It's amazing that even though my visits here are very few, I easily manage to find happy moments when I spend time here. Maybe it was the workers of the ranch that got to me, but there is no doubt in my mind that I will miss them.

"Here she is, Fairy Boy." Malon rested her hand on the horse's back. "Your noble steed awaits you."

"Are you sure about lending Epona to me?" I asked. "I could ask for another horse if you'd like…"

"Nonsense!" Malon declared. "Of course I'm sure, I can see that Epona is needed more with you than here at the ranch at the moment. Besides, the fairy friend you're searching for; your bond with her is probably like the one I have with Epona here. And she is quite capable of keeping spirits up. I'm sure that Epona will be a great deal of help to you."

"Thanks again, Malon."

Without warning, I was caught into the redhead's warm embrace. Her head was against my shoulder, while I placed my hand on her back. We parted from each other after a few short minutes, then I mounted on Epona's back. I smiled as I looked back to Malon. "I guess this is it… goodbye, Malon."

"Goodbye Fairy Boy, and to you as well, Epona." She smiled back. "I wish you good luck, and try not to get into too much trouble."

I then turned to Epona. "Are you ready, girl? Hyaaa!" As I squeezed both my legs to her sides, the young mare responded by bounding forward and started to gallop. I was riding in the open fields of Hyrule within seconds of leaving Lon Lon Ranch, heading towards the forest in the east.

* * *

The descending sun was slowly bringing closure to day, and two familiar fairies have been drifting around aimlessly in the dark forest for a while. Tatl then produced a light twinkle, which was one of many ways of showing emotions for fairies. Tatl's brief sparkle seemed to have carried traces of exhaustion and uneasiness. "This whole thing doesn't feel right at all, Tael." She told her brother. "Skull Kid's been acting weirder every time we see him, ever since he found that mask. Some thing's wrong with that thing, and I know you can sense it too." 

"I know that, but can we do, sis? He was pretty upset when I said that we could look for another mask. He probably wouldn't let us take a good look at it, even if we ask nicely." Tael's fluttering wings appear to have slouch down only slightly. "… Maybe we should leave him alone for a little while…"

"No way! Don't tell me you forgot the way Skull Kid was like when we first found him. He was in bad shape. And now that he's going around with this ugly mask on, we don't even know if… wait… do you feel that?"

Tael was about to answer, when he suddenly felt a soft vibration along his wings. Both fairies knew that this particular feeling was from the sound of music, and their thoughts were confirmed when they heard an up-beat tune soon after. Though the sound was distant, Tatl and Tael were getting a little tense.

"Someone's in the forest!" Tael finally said. "What do we do?"

"Let's look for them."

When the two fairies realized that neither one of them answered Tael's question they looked around the surround plains, and found an impish figure sitting on a branch of a very tall tree. It was Skull Kid.

"… What did you just say?" Tatl was hesitant to ask.

"Don't act as if you didn't hear me, you know exactly what I said. We're going to try and find this person." Skull Kid then made a childish, yet mischievous laughter. "It's probably a traveler. And usually they have a lot of neat things. Let's check them out!"

What caught the pixies off guard were Skull Kid's sudden movements, jumping from one tree to another at great speeds, until he was almost out of sight. Tatl and Tael tried to follow after the shifty child, but they could barely keep up with his pace. Tatl was somewhat impressed that Skull Kid was heading in the right direction, since the distant tunes they heard were getting louder.

They were getting closer.

When Skull Kid then made a quick stop at the top of a tree, Tael motioned downwards and stopped near the base of the trunk. After a moment, he flew back to his sister and the forest imp. "Someone is definitely below us, Skull kid." Tael informed. "And I think they have a horse with them too."

Skull Kid stayed silent for a moment, then seemed to chuckle to himself. "Okay, then here's what I want you two to do…"

* * *

**Link's P.O.V**

"_Link... w... what do you think will happen to us once we go back in time?"_

"_The only thing I'm thinking about this very moment, Navi... is that I'm just glad all of this is finally over and done with."_

"_...I see..."_

_In an instant, I found that I was returned to my original time. Most of the items that I acquired were lost; weapons, magic spells, and treasures were gone. I no longer had the white undergarments, the thick gauntlets, or the earrings that I wore as an adult. I was relieved to be my true self once again._

_My attention was then towards the Master Sword that rested in its pedestal. After having to deal with countless hardships and misfortunes for what seemed like forever, all because of one wicked man who's mind was filled with thoughts of power; I was free at last. _

_Ganondorf, I hope you're rotting miserably in your new prison._

_I stepped down from the platform and headed for the exit of the Temple of Time, but not before taking one last look at the very item that was once my path of destiny. May the Master Sword rest forever in peace._

"_Link…"_

_When I turned to face fairy friend, I immediately noticed that something was bothering her. Her very entity was shimmering intensely, and tiny droplets of light were dripping down on the floor; it was as if she was crying. And to add to that, the way Navi had called my name; her voice was weak and broken. The sound of it was enough to push my negative thoughts of my past adventure aside._

"_Navi…" I managed to say. "Is anything wrong? Please… tell me."_

"_Don't talk, Link." Her demand was in a faint tone. "Just… don't talk. I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to listen to what I have to say to you. Please do that for me… Link…"_

_I did what she told me to do. I caught the feeling that what Navi wanted to tell me was going to be intense. There was a moment of silence and as I waited patiently for Navi to speak, I noticed the amount of 'tears' she was shedding had decreased._

"_When we started our journey to rid the world of Ganondorf, I was able to sense how you were slowly changing into the Link you are now. I wasn't sure of how I was suppose to take this in at first, but then there was a time when I was afraid of your change."_

_Afraid…? _

"_Remember when the Great Deku Tree Sprout revealed your true past and destiny to you? Since then, your whole outlook on our adventure had changed and you started to develop a great hatred for Ganondorf, and an even greater hatred for the Master Sword."_

_As I listened attentively to Navi's words, I was beginning to feel uneasy. I wasn't really in the mood to hear a lecture about the way I was supposed to approach fate. I tried to stay calm incase that was what Navi was implying._

"_But despite of what I saw was happening to you, Link, I stayed by your side; not because it was the Great Deku Tree's wish. I did this out of my own will. I wanted to understand how you felt towards… all of this. I thought that offering you my help might ease the pain you were feeling."_

"_Later on during our travels together and witnessing your way of interacting with other people, how you would take the matters of others into your own concern, I realized that you truly were growing up. And I stayed with you Link… because I felt an attachment with that growth."_

"_Then when the battle with Ganondorf came and I was overwhelmed by his dark power, I was ashamed of myself. Not being able to help you at that time was the hardest thing I had to bear. I felt as I had let you down in some way, and I apologize for that."_

_I gazed at my fairy partner in astonishment and confusion. After finishing her sentence and seeing my reaction, I watched as Navi's tears return quickly._

"_But when Ganondorf attempted to make one last stand, I thought that the only way to earn your forgiveness from abandoning you was to put all of my fears aside, and to face the monster with you…"_

"_Navi," I interrupted as politely as I could. "You didn't abandon me. How could you think so?"_

"… _Because I love you, Link."_

_I didn't know what I was feeling when Navi said this, but I did know that whatever attempts I made to prepare for the fairy's speech had failed. My lips moved to speak, but I struggled to say something._

"_The attachment that I mentioned," Navi continued. "Came from the uniqueness I sensed in you, and the fondness of you that I sensed in me. I may have been your appointed guardian fairy, Link, but I love you like a mother loves her child; as the Great Deku Tree loves us as his children, and he was our father."_

_I found myself looking down towards the ground shock. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. At that point I didn't know what to think and was at a lost for words. It was my turn to feel guilty, after listening to Navi's confession. I had no idea that was how she felt about me. Wait a minute, 'may have been'… what did that mean?_

"_I am so proud to have been your guardian fairy, Link. I am truly happy to see you grow up into who you have become now."_

_Noticing how distant Navi's voice was, I lifted my head and saw her drifting towards a lone window up high. She was leaving me…_

"…_Goodbye, Link…" She said softly. "…and thank you."_

"_Navi, wait. Don't go…Navi…!"_

"…Navi."

I tore the ocarina from my lips and tucked it away in my pouch, then gave a small sigh. I still wonder if something was still bothering her when we parted ways. Reflecting back to that moment, I realized soon afterwards how much I had appreciated Navi for the things she had done for me; I just wish that she didn't have to leave, for whatever reason she had on her mind.

Taking a break from my thoughts, I shifted my balance backwards while holding onto Epona's lower neck and mane to make her stop, then I got my attention to where I was in the surrounding woodlands. I have traveled in the Lost Woods a few times before, but this area was new to me. I found that this place was vast and filled with trees that were large in size- larger than the ones I've seen in Kokiri Forest. And I noticed that the skies were less visible here; the unusual darkness I sensed in these woods gave me a strange feeling.

Just then I caught a glimpse of something glowing at the corner of my eye, but it quickly left my sight after a second. When I looked around to try and find what it was, Epona suddenly made a loud cry and raised her front legs high, causing me fall back on my face on the ground. I felt a sharp pain in my limbs. I made a small grunt as I struggled to move, but the pain increased and though my eyes were tightly shut, I found myself losing consciousness…

* * *

Childlike giggles echoed in the forest as a frightful mask appeared above the ground. Skull Kid's body followed behind it afterwards. "That was funny!" he said between his giggles. "You two fairies did a great job, I can see that horses get scared way too easily! Now let's have a look at this fellow. I wonder if he'll have any goodies on him." Skull Kid then toddled over to where Link's limp body was lying. "Huh? We've got this guy?" 

"Are you sure he's a traveler, Tatl?" Tael asked as he hovered over the unconscious boy's head. "He's got a sword and shield on him. Do you think he's a warrior?"

"I'm not sure, Tael. He's just a kid. But even if he was, why would someone like him wander around this forest?" Tatl let her question pass when both her brother and herself watched Skull Kid searching through Link's attire. He soon got his hands on a small blue instrument.

"So that's what that kid was playing: an ocarina."

Tael then flew in front of Skull Kid. "I've never seen one like this before." He commented. "It's really pretty… Hey Skull Kid, could you let me have a feel of it?" The violet pixie motioned closer towards the ocarina when Tatl pushed him back with enough force to make him collide with the ground. Tael quickly took flight and faced his sister. "Ow! That really hurt, sis! Why did you do that?"

"You can't touch it, Tael! It'll probably brake when you try it!"

"B… But sis…"

"I don't want to hear it! Just let Skull Kid try and play it."

Skull Kid lifted his mask from his face with one hand, and used the other to bring the ocarina to his lips. When he tried to play it, instead of producing a beautiful sound, he made a loud and horrible screech that almost send his fairy companions to the ground. Skull Kid pulled the ocarina from his mouth and stared at it with curious, and slightly pettish eyes. "What's wrong with this thing?" he got irritated after trying to play the instrument a few more times. "It's harder to play than a simple flute."

"It takes practice, I guess."

"That was some prank you pulled."

Both Tatl and Tael seemed to have flinched after hearing that sentence. They then turned around nervously and saw the boy in green back on his feet, and though his face was partially smeared with dirt, his facial expression clearly showed that he was not too happy.

"Um, Skull Kid… look behind you."

* * *

The frolicsome Skull Kid wearing an odd-looking mask was surprised when he turned and saw that I was facing him. He made a poor attempt to hide the ocarina of time from me; hiding it behind his back. "This isn't funny." I said as I held out my hand. "Give me that ocarina you just took from me." 

Skull Kid shifted his head sideways. "… I didn't find any ocarina around here. Did you two fairies see anything?"

When I saw two fairies coming out from behind Skull Kid's hat, I thought that they might have been the ones that caused Epona to react the way she did before I was knocked unconscious. They seemed to hesitate before answering, "… N-n No, not at all…"

I snapped. I wasn't going to take this. "I'm not in the mood for jokes. Give it back!" Without giving these foresters a chance to respond, I lunged out towards Skull Kid, hoping to catch him and grab the ocarina from him. I didn't count on his swiftness; his sudden disappearance caused me to stumble through the air. The next thing I heard was another outcry from Epona. I instinctively turned to where she was, and I found Skull Kid on her back.

"You'll have to catch me to get it!" He burst with giggles before dashing off with Epona. His fairy partners quickly followed after him.

"No, wait!" I cried as I tried my hardest to run after them, but they had gained much distance from me in only a few seconds. I would have had much trouble catching up to Epona with the darkness of the woods, if it weren't for the trail of dust she left behind. After passing a few old tree trunks, I found that Epona's tracks had ultimately led me to a large tunnel. I rushed into it without another thought.

Evidently it was a long tunnel. As I ran deeper down that passage my surroundings got darker. Just when it was to the point of being pitch-black, I lost my balance when I came across the edge of the ground. Before I had a chance to do anything, ground under my feet started to crumble, and it brought me to lean forward and fall into the darkness below…


	4. Game

**Chapter 4: Game**

**Link's P.O.V**

I'm awake…

… And I feel like crap.

After a few moments of silence I decided to open my eyes, and I found myself staring in a dusky blur. I tried to push myself into comfortable sitting position, ignoring the slight pain I felt form my…fall?

That prompted me to take a better look at my surroundings. I started having doubts whether I was still in the eastern forests. It looked like I was in some kind of grotto, but I wasn't sure of its size. The walls disappeared in the darkness from a distance. Then my attention went to what my hands were resting on. It probably had the same size of a tree stump. Its large petals overlapped its firm leaves. I've never seen such flowers in the forest before.

"Well, you're no fun."

A blinding light suddenly flashed in front of me. I had to shield my eyes until I was sure that light would subside. When I finally had the chance to withdraw my hands from my sight, I was able to catch a scamp-like figure taking a sitting position in mid-air. Two glowing orbs were at its side.

Sure enough, it was Skull Kid and his fairy friends.

But if they were all here, then where was…?

"It took you long enough to catch up to me. I was quite disappointed-"

"Enough!" I felt my temper resurfacing when recent images flushed my mind, when I'd first encountered the forest imp. "Where's Epona?"

"Huh? Oh. Do you mean that pathetic excuse for a horse of yours?" Skull Kid threw his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. "I have no idea why you would let a stupid thing like that near you." He carelessly answered. "It won't listen to anything that's said to it."

A part of me felt satisfied. The Epona I knew would never follow anyone except her closest friends. But still…

"An animal like that isn't worth keeping around. So I did you a favor and got rid of it."

I was stunned. I was sure my mouth was on the verge of falling to the ground. "What do you mean, 'got **_rid_** of her'? What did you do with Epona?"

Those wicked eyes of Skull Kid's mask gazed at me as he spoke. "Should it even matter? The horse is gone. Now we can start playing a new game."

"This isn't a game for me, Skull Kid!"

He must have noticed my harsh tone. Skull Kid had shifted his pose. He now 'stood up', with folded arms. The two fairies that accompanied him seemed to have moved nervously behind him.

Skull Kid's voice then became dark and threatening, but he somehow maintained a slight playful tone. "Don't make such a noise at me," He warned. "I was only having a little fun with you."

For some reason, I had a feeling he was _daring_ me to make a comeback. And I did. This little runt wasn't going to get away with stealing my ocarina, and taking Epona away. "This game is over, Skull Kid. You can't make me play with you whenever you want!"

"Then you're more foolish than I first thought, boy. You should know that I have the power to make **_anyone_** play my games, whether they like it or not." As Skull Kid let out an eerie laughter, the eyes of his mask began to glow with ominous light. "Let me give you a demonstration."

The eyes grew brighter and soon the entire mask was darkened, patterned with bold electric charges. Instinct directed me to draw my sword, but instead I found myself wrapping my hands around my head. Feeling a sharp pain spread throughout my body caused my knees to buckle, and I fell to the ground. I bit my lip as a struggle to keep a scream from escaping my throat. My vision had gotten hazy in just a few short seconds, and I couldn't help but let myself slip into unconsciousness again…

* * *

Her eyes snapped open. Bringing a hand to her chest, she felt her heart beating swiftly, and she soon relaxed against her soft sheets. Why had she a restless moment in her sleep, when that night her mind was purged of dreams? 

Zelda slowly crept from her bed and tread across her bedroom with bare feet until she reached a windowsill. As she pushed the glass windows open a soft breeze blew against her face. Her thoughts on her sleep had quickly changed to thoughts of the boy in green. Was it possible that Link was already in trouble?

Her sapphire eyes shifted to the view of the pale moon. It's reflecting light hit against her cheeks, and highlighting her blond hair. Zelda kept her gaze on the celestial body in the sky and clasped her hands together, soft words escaped her mouth in a whisper.

_'By the goddesses… Please, let Link be safe…'_

* * *

_Stranded in an empty space once again. It was beginning to annoy him. Feeling as though he was being deprived of his guard by the mere hollowness of the air was disgusting. He wished that this feeling wouldn't last long._

_And it didn't._

_There was laughter._

_He immediately recognized the owner of that voice. It repeated over and over, echoing louder within each passing second. The cackles had overflowed the surrounding darkness. It was suffocating._

_And this had to stop._

_He watched as a pair of luminous orbs appeared from the obscurity. They began to multiply everywhere until they had overlapped each other. The laughter had slowly died down and was replaced with rustling noises. Faster than a blink of an eye, he was surrounded by massive forest creatures known as Deku Scrubs._

_They swayed their bodies rhythmically from side to side, prancing around in circles. He did nothing but stare suspiciously at them, until he felt a sudden pain on the side of his waist. He instinctively rested his hand on his sides, when he felt another hit to his leg. After bending down on one knee, he had caught a large object within his sight. _

_A Deku Nut._

_The Deku Scrubs began their attack. They shot their deku nuts simultaneously while keeping the rhythm of their movements. The boy forced himself to stand back up. He knew neither sword nor shield would be sufficient enough for defense. His only option was to run. _

_He quickly turned away from the bundle of scrubs and fled in spite of the pain in his leg. Anytime he heard the Deku Scrubs shot their nut at him, he would have difficulty dodging them. But he kept on running, until he suddenly felt the ground quake. He lost his footing and fell to the ground._

_When the lifted himself back up, he found himself facing a Deku Scrub that appeared to be twice the size of the ones he previously encountered. He was now cornered; there was no way he could get around this. So when the monster in front of him prepared to strike, all he could do was brace himself…_

* * *

**Link's P.O.V**

When I opened my eyes after that vision, I was breathing quite fast. It's been a while since I had an overwhelming feeling like that. I tried taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. Why do I feel so… weird? It's as if I was covered by something.

Those same giggles returned again, and I grunted in response. At that moment I wondered how I made such s strange noise. I went to put my hand to my throat, when I saw that something was **very** wrong.

My hand… it had sort of a wooden texture to it, and was covered with a small leather gauntlet. _'What on earth…?'_

I quickly checked the rest of my attire. My green had remained, but my sword and shield were gone and all I had has clothing was a small quilt. And to prove that I wasn't hallucinating, I went to face a nearby puddle of water to look at my reflection. There was no way. The eyes… the small body…

…I was turned into a Deku Scrub.

I let out a scream that sounded more like a pathetic squeal.

Skull Kid's giggles had turned into an outburst of laughter. He had his hands around his sides in a poor attempt to contain himself. "You know, you have to admit that new look of yours really suits you."

"Alright, Skull Kid," I said. "This isn't funny for me. I want you to change me back to the way I was before, **_now_**!"

Skull Kid only turned his head to the side with a simple 'hmph'. "I guess you still don't get it. I can now do whatever I want. You can stay here looking like that for all I care."

"I won't let that happen!"

I lunged forward to try and catch him once again, but then I was knocked to the ground hard. I didn't think a fall like that would be so painful. Was it because of my new Deku form? I had no idea what was it that hit me, until I saw an intensely glowing fairy in front of me.

"Don't you dare go near him!" it warned.

"Wha…?"

"I'm afraid I can't stay here another minute." When I turned to face Skull Kid again, it looked as though he was fading away. "I've got somewhere else I need to be."

Beside Skull Kid was the violet fairy, with its wings fluttering rapidly. "S-sis, hurry!"

Both the devious imp and the fairy disappeared; completely consumed by the darkness in an instant. Though it looks as if Skull Kid had neglected the fact that he left without his other fairy. And she didn't take it lightly.

"Tael! Skull Kid! You two can't leave here without me!" the pixie bellowed. "Can you guys hear me? Hey! H-E-E-E-Y-Y-Y-Y!"

"Serves you right." I muttered as I folded my arms. Apparently I was heard. The fairy flew back to give me another hit to the head.

"Shut up, Deku boy!" You know this all happened because of you!"

It was my turn to be baffled. This fairy couldn't be serious. "**_Me?_** How in the world did I cause what happened?"

"Don't act so stupid! If it wasn't for you, I would still be with my brother and Skull Kid! Now I know Tael will have a hard time dealing with him! Oh, if only you had just done what Skull Kid asked, we wouldn't be-"

The fairy's glow carried an uneasy feeling when she was abruptly caught within my hand. I felt her quiver as I stared at her with angered eyes. "W-w-what do you think you're…?"

"You've got some nerve to blame this on me."

I didn't think my voice was all that threatening, but I certain that the little fairy knew I wasn't in the mood for her outrageous accusations against me.

"I'm sure you know this whole 'incident' started with that stupid prank you and your friends did back in that forest. Your Skull Kid friend was the one who stole my ocarina and my horse; both were very precious to me. Then he goes on pulling this trick and changed me into a Deku Scrub. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't be angry with any of you."

When she didn't answer, I allowed myself to ease off a bit before speaking again.

"I'll only ask you this once. Where did Skull Kid take Epona?"

She stammered. "I… have no idea. I swear!"

I tore my eyes away from her and looked at my surroundings again. Now that things were clearer, I caught a dark and narrow pathway with my sight. "I'll start searching somewhere else then." I then rushed towards the tunnel without giving a chance for the fairy to respond. I had difficulty keeping my own pace, because I often felt as though I was about to trip over my own feet.

The tunnel eventually led me to a vast and boundless area. There were places where enormous tree roots sprouted from one point, reaching across and disappearing into nothingness. And the ground became mounds of earth. Though they seemed lopsided, they also looked as if leading to another direction. I hardly took a step forward when I heard a shout from behind.

"Hey, you! Wait for me!"

I turned around to face the familiar fairy. Judging from her sparkle, she didn't seem to be in a better mood than I was. "You shouldn't leave a helpless little girl alone in the dark like that!"

"If that's the only reason for following me, then you don't have my sympathy." I told her.

"That's not it at all!"

I waited for her to finish but her last sentence was followed by an eerie silence. I had to wait a few more seconds before hearing the fairy's voice again.

"About what happened with Skull Kid before. Well, I… um… apologize… sorry." Her glow then intensified for some reason. It made me wonder what she had on her mind.

"Now that that's over and done with, can you take me with you?"

I was caught off-guard. "Excuse me?"

"I meant exactly what I said." She continued. "I want to get out of this place just as much as you do. Besides, you probably wouldn't have so much luck finding your way around. I can help you out if I come with you."

"So do you know your way around this place?" I asked.

"Not…really." She admitted sheepishly.

'_Figures.'_ I thought. I gave an ungraceful sigh.

"But, I have an idea of where Skull Kid might be headed. Does that count as something for you?"

I lowered my head in thought. Going through a labyrinth such as this without knowing where you're going was about as smart as roaming aimlessly through the Lost Woods. But giving what the fairy had just told me, her idea was about as good as any. And I know from experience that anything is possible.

"Let's try and find a way out of here first." I explained. "I'm sure we'll be able to move forward from there."

"Great! Then it's settled!" the pixie declared. "Let us be partners. Well, at least until we find Skull Kid. I just hope Tael will be alright with him."

Just then I had an awkward feeling. _Let us be partners…_

I let those words sink in, and realized that I am once again partnered with a fairy. A part of me felt relieved of the fact.

"By the way," she continued. "My name's Tatl. Nice to… er… meet you."

My face somewhat softened, deciding to give her a break. "My name is Link."

"Link, huh? Well Link, since we've now got everything straightened out… why don't we stop messing around and get moving."

My mind drifted back to the moments of Navi's parting with me. I didn't know what to think about the timing of having another fairy as an accomplice. But then I quickly realized that I had quite a problem, and that I had to focus on retrieving the ocarina of time and Epona that were lost.

"…over there. Hey! Weren't you listening to me?"

I snapped back from my thoughts after hearing Tatl's voice again. "Sorry." I felt slightly guilty when that was all I managed to say to her.

"And here I am trying to be nice to you." She let herself calm down before speaking again. "I said that I saw a small crawl space near a lone tree over there." She then flew to the far side of the area, across from where I was. "I'm pretty sure that's our way out of here, because there was light coming from the other side."

* * *

With Tatl's aide, we made our way to the other side of the tunnel and found ourselves in a meadow of some kind. This place was completely different from the Kokiri Forest. It had a placid looking scenery, but it somehow… lacked a sense of spirit and liveliness, as if everything its essence were lost. Everything was still; there was no wind blowing through the trees' leaves, and the only sound in the area were my feet brushing the ground and the twinkling of my new partner. 

"Does anything here look familiar to you, Tatl?" I asked curiously as we walked on.

"Not really, but… look over there." She flew swiftly ahead and I tried desperately to catch up to her. We then stopped in front of a wall covered in moss. When I ran my hand over its surface, the texture lead me to think that it was a door. I explained to Tatl what I had in mind.

"Well we don't have time to waste." She concluded. "Try to open it."

After applying pressure to the door, it opened without much effort. What Tatl and I didn't expect to find on the other side took us by surprise.

The door had led us to some sort of underground structure, with towering columns and a large turning wheel over a murky stream of water. The amount of dust and moss that coated most of everything made this place seem ancient. After taking a few more seconds of looking around, and noticing a way to an upper floor, rushed that way without a second thought. When I reached, the walls were trimmed with large painted markings. And in the center was a log connected to a series of revolving wheels towards the ceiling.

The rhythmic sounds that it made hinted that it was…

"This looks like the inside of… a clock tower." Tatl said, unknowingly answering my thoughts. She sounded astonished, as if seeing this place for the first time. "Then…I can believe it! We made it to the city!"

'_City?'_ I inquired. Did we really strike such luck?

"C'mon! Let's hurry out of here!"

Conveniently, there was another set of doors that led out of this room, and my fairy partner raced towards the exit, when a voice was heard that made us turn around on reflex.

"Please wait a moment."

Tatl and I found ourselves staring at a taller man with a enormous bag strapped on his back. What in the world was someone doing here…?

* * *

**_NOTE:_** I'm sorry if the scene with Link and the Deku Scrubs was a little…weird. I tried to portray it differently from the game. And you probably noticed me skipping a few details, like Deku Link trying to use a deku flower, the sad deku tree, and little things like that. I just didn't think they were necessary _yet_. If there was anything else that I missed out on, please let me know if you have the chance to review. 

Maybe I made Link a little too upset with Tatl in their first meeting…

Rougesweet16


	5. A New World

**Chapter 5: A New World**

_'He is…'_

The man was rather thin, much to my surprise that he was able to carry such a heavy bag filled with unusual masks, simply by arching his back. His brows accentuated his grinning, but troubled face. His hands were clasped together in a pleading manner.

I noticed Tatl attempting to hide from the man's sight by flying behind my large hat, but I didn't pay any mind. I was certain that there was something very familiar about him, as if I had seen him before.

"Pardon me," the man finally spoke. "But I have lost my way in the woods during my travels not far from this place. Forgive me for my sudden appearance, but this is a rather inconvenient time for me…"

"And who are you?" I asked, unable to determine where I might have known him from.

"I am the owner of the establishment known as the Happy Mask Shop." He answered. "I travel frequently into unknown regions in search of masks. Though recently I have run into some misfortune. I was robbed of an important mask deep within the forest. A strange imp took that mask from me."

Now I saw everything. He was the one that had the mask shop in Hyrule's town square. And add to that, that place was rarely occupied. He was probably gone in search for new investments.

Wait a minute… 'strange imp'… it had to be… 

I quickly turned and shot a glare to Tatl, who merely shook in response. "Well Tatl," I said as I crossed my arms. "How did Skull Kid get this guy? Not a stupid prank like you did with me, I suppose?"

"I don't know how Skull Kid had that mask." She said, then she raised her voice. "I swear! Not even my brother knew! We tried to get him to tell us where he found it and to look for another mask, but he would snap back at us every time-" Tatl stopped, then she flew in front of the mask salesman, who didn't seem to flinch from her swift movements. "You! Do you have any idea what is going on with that weird mask of yours? I sensed that something was wrong with it, and so did my brother. In fact, We're certain that it's the reason Skull Kid is acting the way he is now!"

"Indeed," The salesman replied. "That the mask does carry a dark aura. When I found it, I have heard rumors that it was a mask that granted the wishes of its holder."

"I hope you weren't going to sell that mask!" the fairy retorted. It was something I had to agree with.

"Of course not. The aura that mask carries is too much for others to lay their hands on it." The man then turned his attention to me. He slowly walked towards where I stood, and knelt down in front of me. His hands extended to reach my face and stroke it gently. " It seems that you and this 'Skull Kid' fellow had already crossed paths."

I nodded. "Skull Kid is the one who turned me into a Deku Scrub. This is not my true form."

"And so you have met with a terrible fate." The strange salesman rose back up after another few seconds of touching my face. He then rested his hand under his chin, as he wore a pondering face. Finally, he said, "I may have found a way for you to return to your former self."

"There is?" I asked as I felt my face light up. "What needs to be done? I'll try anything…"

"It requires an instrument." He simply answered. "To play a special melody in order for you to go back to the way you were, it is necessary for you to have an instrument. Do you have something like that by any chance?"

I lowered my head. "Well, I did have an ocarina… I mean, before Skull Kid took it away from me, as well as my horse."

"We were looking for Skull Kid ever since." Tatl stated. Her voice made me realized my lack of attention towards her.

"Then may I ask a favor of you both?" the salesman asked. "You are looking for the one who possesses the mask that was stolen from me, in order to retrieve the precious items you've lost. Our goals are the same. I suggest that if you manage to take back the instrument that the imp stole from you, I will be able to teach you the song to transform you back to your original form."

Tatl joined in the conversation before I had a chance to say anything. "And what in this for you, if we do find Skull Kid?" she asked him.

"All I ask in return, is that you bring back the mask that your friend took from me."

"That's it?" Tatl sounded as though expecting more out of this bargain.

"It should be a simple task for both of you. You seem to already have a lead in finding him."

_A simple task…_ I had a feeling it was going to be anything but. After enduring the pain during my transformation from Skull Kid's new found power, I can only guess that there will be a struggle in his search.

"Although," the man continued. "I am a businessman, and my time in this place is limited. I would be grateful if my mask be returned to me within three days."

"Three days?" Tatl's voice hinted that what she had just heard was ridiculous.

"Yes, I must return to my travels at dawn of the fourth day. I feel that where we are now… its fate will be determined when my time is up. But do not be troubled by my thoughts, dear boy." The happy mask salesman finally looked at me with a truthful smile. "I believe with the courage I see in you, that you will carry out this task without much effort. I have great faith in you. Do we have a deal…?"

Once I caught his gesture for me to introduce myself, I bowed my head apologetically. "Sorry, my name is Link." I pointed a finger at my floating partner. "And this fairy here is Tatl. You're right, We'll be able to find Skull Kid and we _will_ take back what is ours. We have a deal."

Although it felt awkward, I reached to grab the salesman's hand in a handshake.

* * *

The sun rose slowly, casting its light onto the vast plains. Soft winds blew across the land, but was disrupted by a being floating in mid air. 

Skull Kid stared absently at the sky, tossing a small blue object in the air and catching it as it fell. _'Everything is running smoothly…'_ he thought to himself. _'It's only a matter of time now.'_

Beside him was the violet fairy Tael, who appeared to be quivering nervously. "Skull, you can't keep doing these things!" he pleaded. "What you're planning- these people… there's still time. We can look for Tatl and enjoy a good carnival, without having to deal with this whole mess…the three of us can all have fun together."

Tael nearly yelled when found himself in the masked imp's grip in an instant. His shivers got worse from his eerie stare.

"What you don't understand is that I'm doing this out of generosity for everyone." He said in an ominous tone. "Didn't you notice that there's no main attraction in this carnival? It will be quite boring if I don't show them how a _real_ carnival should be like."

"And besides, adding to that, this kind of carnival only happens once a year. It's the only time everyone has a chance to have fun at the same time. But don't worry, soon everything will change."

Skull Kid turned to face the sky once again as he let the fairy out of his hand not-to-gently.

_"It's going to be one _hell_ of a carnival this year…one that can't just disappear…"_

* * *

**Link's P.O.V**

This whole place was incredible.

Clock Town-as Tatl mentioned- was undoubtedly a vibrant city. Its walls reminded me of the ones surrounding the city in Hyrule. Only here, the walls were painted with festive colours and had the same kind of markings I saw back inside the clock tower. Wooden stalls that were nearly completed were placed in every corner, and what seemed like a large pillar was being built in the center of the open area. I noticed that the people who filled this area were mostly of carpenters. They seemed to be working on decorating the city.

"I can't believe this!"

I cocked my head to the side and saw that it was Tatl who yelled.

"That mask salesman is the creepiest guy I've ever met. And for him to ask us to get Skull Kid in a mere three days?"

"But I thought you said that this place was where Skull Kid might be." I said. "If that's true, then we shouldn't have much trouble looking for him, right?" Shortly after I said those words, I had a feeling that I was going to regret them somehow.

"I know what I said! But blindly looking around isn't going to get us anywhere." After a few short moments, Tatl decided to speak again. "Let's try and find the Great Fairy first."

Her last sentence caught my attention. The Great Fairy, she resides in a place like this? "How do you know a Great fairy is here?" I asked without thinking.

"I'm a fairy." She sounded as though the answer was obvious. "Fairies are able to sense each other's presence. And since Great Fairies are much older and more powerful, we can easily recognize them. Now let's start looking."

I let Tatl lead the way, but unfortunately for me it took only a few steps for me to meet with an unpleasant-looking stray dog. It was close to my size. Its eyes were set on me as it a threatening growl was heard through its sharp teeth. The dog crouched near me. It was about to pounce on me.

It sprung forward rather quickly with force, but I somehow managed to dodge it. Then I found myself running up a ramp around the clock tower with a certainty that the dog would chase after me. I got tired easily because of my trying not to trip over myself. I could hear Tatl shouting behind me, complaining about how I had acted so clumsy. But I didn't care. I kept running, until I reached a small field.

The first thing that was in my sight was a small pillar that led to a slide of some kind. I ran towards it, hoping that the dog won't be able to reach me once I had climbed onto it. I got to the pillar and desperately tried to jump on- and I wasn't even close to reaching it!

I can't believe this!

I could hear the dog's barking getting louder, indicating that it was coming closer. I turned around to face it and to my slight relief, it was treading slowly towards me. I looked around in panic. What could I do to avoid this?

**_Use the flower_**

I suddenly jerked my head. That voice… where did it come from?

**_The flower in front of you_**

I looked to where I was told and I saw that same strange flower I saw back in the woods was at the top of a small hill, on the other side of the field. I took one quick glance back that the animal trying to close the distance between us.

_**Run! Now!**_

* * *

It was getting worse. 

He knew it. With each passing day the townsfolk was growing more and more fearful. But that wasn't without good reason. It was amazing how the carpenters still kept their determination to prepare for the upcoming festival, but what was most disappointing was the fact that even the city's soldiers saw the situation unnerving.

There was hardly anything he could do. After all he was just a kid, and most of the people have other concerns than to deal with the kids. But that fact didn't bother him much. Part of his daily routine was to find out what's happening around town, and very few reports have kept him interested.

He made his usual rounds around the city, and everything was relatively steady. He wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad thing, but at the moment he didn't want to get into it. He needed a break. And so he was on his way back to the place where he felt most comfortable from the activities in town.

He walked along the trail leading to the parklands north of Clock Town. He wasn't really paying attention to where he strolled, but a constant barking caught his attention. He then saw a plant-like creature trying to evade a rather angry dog. It was a Deku Scrub, and he hardly ever got to see such creatures. His mind was suddenly filled with questions about the Deku Scrub when he witnessed it somehow 'diving' into a giant flower next to him. He looked to the dog again, who made a few snarling noises and eventually left the flower alone.

"_That was cool."_ He thought on wonder. _"I never seen this guy around before. I think he might be new, and he's probably here for the carnival."_

He continued to watch the Deku Scrub as it jumped back out of the flower. After a few moments of quick thinking, he finally decided that he wants to meet with him. But then he noticed a ball of light rushing towards the Deku Scrub. Taking a few short seconds to see what that light was, he concluded that it was a small fairy.

_A fairy…? _

_It can't be…him?_

Suddenly he felt that something was wrong with that Deku Scrub. He was sure of it- him and that fairy were up to no good. And he had to settle things with them. He would finally solve the problem of a mysterious kid with a fairy causing trouble in Clock Town…

* * *

That was the mot unusual experience I've ever had. It was a wonder how I could get into a flower without feeling uncomfortable. But what had most of my attention was the voice that led me to do that. Where did it come from? Was it possible I was hearing things because I was in this Deku Scrub body? I didn't have much time to think about this because I was abruptly hit to the head by a fuming fairy. 

"I cannot believe you, Link!" Tatl bellowed. "I thought you were supposed to be some kind of fighter! How could you let a little puppy like that get to you? And to add to that, you left me behind again!"

I pressed my hand on my head and rubbed where I was hit. I got irritated at Tatl's scolding at me. "Your not the one without wings, Tatl." I said to her. "Who are you to criticize anyway? I didn't see you try to chase that dog away."

"Quit complaining. At least we were able to find the Great Fairy as fast as we did."

"Huh?" I said, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Look over here." Tatl flew over to a fenced area, where I saw a small cave nearby. "I can feel it, the Great fairy's inside this cave. Well, don't just stand there. Come on-"

"Stop right there, fairy!"

Without warning, Tatl barely dodged a Deku seed that was shot at her. She let out a shriek before flying behind my cap again. I looked to see who attacked her, and a boy about my size came into view. He was a pale little boy, with a red hankerchief tied on his head, and wearing a white shirt with blue sleeves, and a pair of blue shorts. He tightened his grip on a wooden blowgun in his hand.

I stepped forward. "Wait a second! You can't just attack someone without a reason!"

"T-That's right!" I heard Tatl yell behind me. "Besides, what did I ever do to you? I never even met you before!"

"Shut it!" the boy called out. "Don't try and act so innocent when you're the one who was causing trouble in town!"

"What do mean by that?"

"You, another fairy, and some masked kid has been bothering a lot of different people! And it's my job to get that problem fixed!"

Skull Kid instantly appeared in my mind when the boy gave those descriptions. I tried to take another step towards him when he gave a warning to shoot his blowgun. "Wait! Just hear us out!" I said to him. "Were looking for Skull Kid, a purple fairy hangs around him. Did you see them already?"

"You're trying to trick me, aren't you?" he replied in a hateful tone. He then shot his blowgun again, but Tatl and I easily avoided the shot. "You're probably one of his friends too. Let me tell you this, Deku Scrub: If I ever catch that 'Skull Kid' or whatever you call him, he's going to wind up needing a _really_ good doctor!"

I tried to be careful in choosing my next words. "Where after Skull Kid because he was able to steal a precious item from me. I have no reason to lie about this…"

Just then, Tatl flew past me and in front of the boy. She looked as though she was shaking in frustration. "Now listen to us, little boy!" she said. "We have no clue what Skull Kid did to you or anyone else around here, but he's got my bother with him, and I want to find them both before anything else happens!"

For a moment the boy stared cautiously at both Tatl and me. I didn't realize that I held my breath until I exhaled after noticing that the boy finally relaxed his arms. "You… you're really after this masked person, huh…?" he asked in a low tone of voice.

"We've been chasing after Skull Kid for a while, until now." I replied. "And we don't really have much of an idea of where to look for him around here."

"…Then maybe I can help."

"Really?" I said as I slowly felt calmer.

"Yeah. I think that I have something of a clue that can help you two. Follow me, I'll show you the way."

I was about to do so, when Tatl suddenly blocked my way. "We're not ready to go with you just yet."

"Tatl, what are you doing?" I muttered to her. She slightly turned towards me and explained that there was still someplace we needed to check. Once I remembered that we haven't entered the cave where Tatl sensed the Great Fairy, I quietly agreed with her.

"Okay, then whenever you're ready, meet me east of town." The boy replied. "I'll be waiting for you there."

After watching him scamper out of sight, Tatl and I turned our attentions back to the cave. After walking in the dark and following its narrow pathway, Tatl abruptly stopped and hovered in the air soundlessly. Noticing her sudden behavior, I asked if anything was wrong, while trying to be careful not to set her in a bad mood.

"I don't know…" she answered. "But, I feel that… something is wrong… somehow. Let's hurry, Link!"

I quickly sprinted after her and I was eventually led to a large spring of clear water, with dark azure lights as surroundings and moving in such a way, that it looked as though it reflected the water's surface. But my eyes were focused on what was at the center of the spring. Well, maybe I should have used the word '_were'_.

There was a bundle of identical, unusual looking creatures hovering over the water. Having wings on top of their small heads, and a set of arms and legs. They also had faces that showed that they were dispirited and in sorrow, as if they were about to burst into tears at any moment.

_What were these things…?_

I turned to Tatl at the sound of her quiet trembling. I had to carefully step beside her to properly hear her silent whispers.

"…The Great Fairy…?"


	6. Deal With the Bombers' Gang

**Chapter 6: Deal With the Bombers' Gang**

"Tatl, I don't understand… What's going on?"

My mind was slowly filled with questions as I looked back to the strange things that floated over the pond. Was this really the Great Fairy? I wasn't even sure whether they were fairies at all. But this fountain looked very much like the ones I've entered before, the ones that acted as a haven for fairies. These creatures however, looked nothing like the fairies I've seen before. I kept pondering until a ball of light flew swiftly past me. Tatl appeared over the water, and she flew high and low while her glowing form had shown her panic.

"Oh, Great Fairy!" Her cry sounded closer to a fearful shriek. "Great Fairy, this can't be! What in the world happened to her?"

"Calm down, Tatl." I said as I met up with her. "The way you're acting, it won't-"

"No, no, no, no! This couldn't have happened! The Great Fairy, she-she…!"

As if responding to Tatl's behavior, every one of those 'things' were starting to circle around us while carrying a faint glow. At that moment, I suddenly felt calmer- it was as if their glow was helping me relax. I wondered if this helped Tatl calm down as well, because she wasn't trembling anymore.

A soft, yet high-pitched voice came from the floating creatures. "You are… Tatl. The fairy's sibling is here at last…"

'Fairy' sibling …?' I thought curiously. 'So these things knew who Tatl was. But still…'

"And you," they continued, facing me. "You… have come into contact with 'him' as well. I can sense it, only faintly. I'm afraid that my powers have been drastically reduced."

"Great Fairy," Tatl said. "What happened to you? You look-well… um…"

"Tatl, and you, young one. Listen to my words, if you please." Their voices sounded pleading, almost desperate. As they held their gazes at me, they made a face that gave me the feeling they knew I was just as confused as my fairy partner. "As Tatl mentioned, I am indeed the Great Fairy. Though I'm afraid that if you seek guidance from me, I am sorry to say that I cannot help you."

I blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? Why can't you?"

"Because of my current state. My body has been shattered into the fairies you see before you. Thus causing my powers to wane. Even my senses have been weakened. I never would have imagined that a young child would carry such dark powers."

As soon as the Great Fairy mentioned this, I had a feeling of who she was talking about. But I had to ask the question: "Who did this to you?"

"The one who broke my body to pieces, was a Skull Kid wearing an unusual mask…"

"No! That's not true!" Tatl suddenly bellowed. "It can't be true! I know that Skull Kid may be a bit of a brat, but he could never do this to you. He's not that strong, he just can't be!"

Unlike Tatl, I can easily believe what the Great Fairy had just told us. After all, if Skull Kid was able to turn me into a Deku Scrub, it's not that surprising to hear that he can cause the Great Fairy to lose her form as well. Then a thought came to me. Shortly after what happened to me I met that mask salesman, and he said that he had a way to turn me back to normal. So then…

"Is there a way for you to turn back to the way you were before?" I finally asked.

The fairies looked as if uncomfortable to answer my question.

"There is a way," they said. "Though the Skull Kid managed to take a piece f my body away from this place. I can only return to my former self if every fairy is in this fountain, but I'm afraid I cannot risk losing another fairy outside of this haven. If you could please, help me find that stray fairy and guide it back here."

I nodded in response, and I made a mental note that Skull Kid had already made an impact in Clock Town. It also looks as if everywhere I turn, that things were getting worse. I needed to find Skull Kid soon before anything else like this happens.

"We'll find that fairy for you, Great Fairy." I replied, then turned to face Tatl. "You're going to help me, right?"

"Of course!" she answered spiritedly. "You can count on it, we'll get that fairy back here in no time! Come on, Link. Let's go!"

* * *

The sky was now clear in a bright blue hue, and the field shimmered against the sun's light. As I walked along through the park, I caught a glimpse of the strange flower I used to 'jump' into from before. The memory of the voice came to mind. I had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time I'll hear of it.

I turned to Tatl as I walked on. "You're quiet." I said. "I figured you'd be on some kind of frenzy or something."

"Oh believe me, I have the right mind to knock that Skull Kid's head senseless!" The fairy fumed, not surprisingly. "Let's just hurry up and find that lost fairy."

Before long I had entered a passage that led me to another part of town. There were more buildings in this area than where I first came from the clock tower, but the surroundings looked just as festive. When I looked around, I noticed not that many people walking along the streets. Deciding to check if anything was going on, I quickly scampered down a staircase, then I heard a voice calling from somewhere behind me.

"Hey Deku boy, up here!"

I tried to look to where I had heard the voice and I found the same boy who wore the red handkerchief on his head, at the top of a pink building. After waving at me while leaning against the wooden fence that bordered the roof, he quickly got off the building and rushed to stand in front of me.

The boy took a short glance at Tatl's direction before looking back at me. He made a smile and said, "Yeah, um, about what happened at the park…I'm sorry."

I waved my hand in front of me. "It's alright, don't worry about it." I told him. I then looked over to Tatl; who- by the way her wings fluttered- didn't seem as though she considered the apology.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She said. "Why don't you think twice before judging people like that, or didn't anyone teach you that before?"

I rolled my eyes in response of her attitude, and figured that she was still upset about what had happened to the Great Fairy. Then when I let that thought sink in, I quickly turned back to the little boy. "So is there any way that you can help us find Skull Kid?" I asked, remembering what he proposed to us back in the park.

"Maybe…" he answered. "I was waiting for you for a while, I wondered if you still wanted to try and catch him."

"Of course I am."

The boy nodded. Turning his head to the side, he brought two fingers to his mouth and blew. Pretty soon a few more boys- four more kids came to meet him. I blinked in surprise as I noticed that all of the boys wore the same uniform, all except for the handkerchiefs on their heads, which was blue instead of red. Everyone was lining up side by side, and the boy wearing the red headpiece stood in the middle.

"We are the members of the Bombers' Gang, The Secret Society of Justice!" The boy announced proudly as he put his hands to his hips. "Are job is to keep the peace and to hassle anyone making trouble. If anyone has a problem, we're here to help 'em. My name is Jim, and I'm the leader. And do you have a name, Deku boy?"

I nodded as I slowly let his words sink in my head. "It's Link." I answered.

"'Link' huh? Well Link, I told you before that Skull Kid has been making trouble here in town. And we need to do what we can to make things better. We don't have any idea of where he might be now, but do have lots of resources that might help us track him down."

My eyes grew wide as I lit up. I guessed that Jim wasn't lying to me about having some help. To me, it was a little unbelieving at first. But maybe…

"But I can't just give you what information we've got." Jim continued. "You've got to _earn_ it."

'_I should've seen this coming.'_ I thought as I sighed to myself. I then caught sight of Tatl flying towards Jim.

"Why do you kids have to make things so difficult?" she yelled. "You said it yourself that Skull Kid was giving you a hard time! So why make things harder for everyone else?"

"That's part of the code!" Jim yelled back. "I want to see if we Bombers can really trust him. And besides, any kind of information is supposed to be kept secret!"

"Oh please, that's a load of-"

"Tatl! Can you cut it out?" I interrupted. The fairy's attitude towards the whole thing got to me. I eyed Tatl as she retreated and grumbled in such a low voice that I couldn't hear.

I slowly shook my head before turning to face Jim again. "So tell me what I need to do." I said calmly to him, before noticing another member of the Bombers' Gang moving to stand beside Jim.

"You need to play a game of Hide- and- Seek with us." He answered.

I blinked. "…That's it?"

The boy flashed a grin. "Trust us when we say, it's not as easy as we make it sound. When we play our game of Hide- and- Seek, all of Clock Town becomes a playground. That means you'll have to look everywhere to try and find us."

"Well, how am I supposed to do that?" I burst out. "I can hardly tell where I am right now!"

"That's your problem, not ours." Jim answered. "If you were so determined to get this Skull Kid, you wouldn't be complaining. Besides, what's the big deal anyway? Aren't we on the same side?"

I slightly turned away to hide my silent mumbling. How am I supposed to find and catch the Bombers' Gang when they're going to run and hide all over the city? Thanks to Skull Kid, who had granted me this body of a Deku Scrub, I had barely managed to escape an angry stray dog. I can barely run without tripping over my own feet, and my long cap wasn't exactly helping.

I sighed. What have I gotten myself into?

"We don't need to stay and waste our time with those kids." Tatl said. "Come on, Link. Let's-"

"Alright." I said, facing the gang leader. "Let's play."

"What?" I heard the fairy yell, but I chose to ignore her.

Jim smiled. "Great! You've got until this evening to catch us all." I watched as Jim pointed a finger towards a corner of a building, just behind a tall post set at the center of the area. "Go stand over there and wait 'til Ash tells you to start looking. Good luck!"

I did as he asked and walked over to the corner to face the stone wall, but I nearly stumbled over at the impact of Tatl colliding with the side of my head. I rested a hand on my head to try and ease the slight pain. "What the heck was that for, Tatl?" I shouted.

"You just had to do that, didn't you?" she roared back.

I blinked and looked at her dumbfoundedly. "What are you talking about. _'Do' _what?"

"We're supposed to be helping the Great Fairy, remember? We still need to find her lost fairy! How could you let yourself get sidetracked like that?"

"I'm doing whatever I can right now!" I stopped myself from yelling any further, and took a deep breath before continuing. "We don't have any clue where Skull Kid has gone, so asking kids like the Bombers' Gang gives us the same amount of chance as asking anyone else. Besides, I think working together will help in finding the Bombers' Gang a lot faster. And since these kids are going to be hiding all over town, there's a high chance in finding the fairy at the same time. At least, that's what I'm thinking."

I waited for Tatl to respond, but the fairy remained silent. I had a feeling that she considered my reasons for dealing with the Bombers' Gang.

"So, are you still going to help me?" I asked her.

Tatl seemed hesitant towards the simple question. "...Sure." she then answered.

I felt a tap to my shoulder soon afterwards, and I turned to see a boy who I quickly guessed was Ash. He wore the same uniform as the other members of the group, though he was the only one I saw wearing a yellow handkerchief on his head.

"Okay Link," Ash excitedly said. "You're ready to go!"

* * *

"Honey, isn't it still early for you to be working? Why don't you rest a little more before starting your shift?"

She looked back to her mother over her shoulder and her lips formed a gentle smile. These were the kinds of questions that she would be asked nowadays. And it wasn't as though they annoyed her, but it happened often enough to have become close to a routine.

"I'm fine, mother." She replied. "Grandma is going to be up soon. And besides that, there are going to plenty of people coming today. So I may as well get to work."

In truth, she wasn't sure herself if some of the town's citizens, or even people from outside of town, would be visiting for the carnival. She had heard that there had been debates over whether or not the carnival would even be held. Even though a decision had yet to be announced, this was quite unsettling. And she was looking forward towards the festival as well.

She had heard stories about this upcoming carnival. Legends, to be more precise. They were old tales that her grandmother would tell her every year, even at a young age. This was a tradition that has never been broken.

But this year is different.

A sigh came from her mother's lips. "Sometimes it looks as thou you're acting like you father, when you are trying to handle you work."

At her words, she couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle.

* * *

"Do you see any of them yet?"

Just then I had to jump aside to avoid bumping into a pair of jugglers. I realized that looking for kids in a town filled with workers and large crowds does complicate things.

"Not really...Hold on! There's one! On that veranda over there- the one with the huge bell. Do you see it?"

Looking over to where she flew, I saw a small building that looked as if it 'came out' from the walls, because it was painted with the same festal colors as them. The veranda that Tatl mentioned was on top of that building, and a large bell was placed near the edge. When I got closer, I was able to see a pair of ragged shoes hiding under the bell. That must be one of the kids of the Bombers' Gang.

'_How did he get up there?'_ I wondered, then looking around and saw a door close to where I found the bell. I figured it would be easy enough to sneak in and catch him.

"Come on, Tatl!" I called out as I ran towards the door. But just when I was about to reach for the knob, the door opened and I collided with someone. The force of the impact caused me to fall back on the ground.

"Watch where you're going, you little runt!" said an angered, but strangely familiar voice.

"Ungh, I'm sorry sir..." When I looked up, I couldn't believe who stood in front of me.

It was Mr. Ingo! Or at least, I think it was him. But I was positive. The thin body, the round belly, the thick moustache and bushy brows. There was no doubt that was Ingo. What was he doing here? _How_ did he get here? Why wasn't he at the ranch?

"Mr. Gorman, can't you relax for a minute? That's hardy fair to treat a little boy that way."

A woman soon walked over beside me to help me get back on my feet, while I was thinking about what she called the man who I thought was Mr. Ingo. I watched as Mr. Gorman walked passed me while muttering silently under his breath.

I quietly sighed to myself. It seemed as though Clock Town was getting weirder with each passing moment.

* * *

Sorry for the late update. Turns out I had way too much fun during the holidays. I hope everyone else did too. I' like to know if I did any mistakes in this chapter.

Rougesweet16


	7. Hide and Seek

**Chapter 7: Hide and Seek**

"Oh my. You didn't get hurt just now, did you little boy?"

I wasn't really focused on answering the girl's question, until I felt her hand holding my own, and her other gently placed on my head. By the warmth of her hand on my head, it felt as though I didn't have my hat on. Once I lifted a hand to rub the side of my head, I was sure that I didn't have my hat on. It probably fell when I bumped into Mr. Ingo- I mean, Mr. Gorman...?

"Um, no..." I finally answered, while looking for my hat. Once I had spotted it near the entrance of the building, I urged the woman to let go of my hand and went to pick it up. I put it back on my head, sighing in slight relief that it wasn't lost. Then I stared back outside the building, looking into the direction where the man I ran into had gone. "The man was..."

"If you're talking about Mr. Gorman, don't mind him. He's a hard-working businessman, but people don't usually take his moodiness seriously."

I probably would have smiled if it weren't for my mouth being replaced by a snout. That's how I remember the workers of Lon Lon Ranch thought of Mr. Ingo too. The next instant I slumped when the thought of Malon crossed my mind. What would she say if she knew I'd lost her precious horse? I couldn't keep myself from making a fist when my thoughts then shifted to Skull Kid. I still had to find him, and I had to find him soon.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the side of my head, after being hit by something. I winced as I rubbed where I felt the hit, and then a small glowing orb came to my view.

"I can't believe you!" Tatl yelled. I had to pull the edges of my hat closer to head, so that I couldn't hear her angered voice that much. "First you had me going after you when you get chased by a dog, then I almost got shot down by a kid, and just a few seconds ago I nearly get trampled over just by staying inside your hat! You really attract a lot of trouble, don't you?"

'_You have no idea.'_ I muttered. "Sorry."

The woman spoke again, bringing my attention back to her. "A little Deku boy with a fairy. You must have traveled a long way, huh? I bet you came to town to stay at this inn and watch this year's carnival, am I right?"

She walked towards a long counter, and at the moment I decided to look around the building. The inn looked a little bigger than most of the ones I've seen Hyrule Castle Town. And from what I can see, it had a long walkway that looked like it led to a path behind an open wall, behind the counter. But what got my attention was a large object that hung on the wall near the entrance to the inn. This round 'thing' had a colorful center and a rotating ring for its border. I got the feeling that this object was some kind of a clock, by the rhythm it moved.

"But shouldn't your mother be with you?" The woman continued. "What's you name, little boy?"

I turned to face her, then finally took a good look at her. The woman was quite tall and had a slender form, but maybe it was because of my Deku form for the most part. When I looked at her blue eyes, it was as thought they brought the glow to her face, along with smile. And her dark red hair flowed neatly down to the base of her neck.

I caught a worried look from the woman and I realized that I didn't answer to her yet. I tried to think back to what she just asked me.

"It's Link." I answered.

The woman stepped closer to me, and she crouched down until her face was directly facing mine. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Link. My name is Anju, and I'm the innkeeper here." Her face then saddened, but she still kept her smile. "But this place is going to be full, you won't be able to get a room for yourself. Unless..."

Anju stood up again and went back to the counter. I watched her get her hands on a book, then I turned to Tatl, who slowly flew closer to me.

"Link, we don't have time to waste. We still have to look for the Bombers' Gang, or did you already forget about that?"

"Right." I walked over to where Anju was and tried to get her attention. "Um... excuse me Miss Anju, but-"

Anju turned back to me with a cheerful face on. "Well, you certainly are a lucky one, Mr. Link. It looks like you have a reservation here."

'_I had a reservation...?'_

"Just hold on one moment." Anju made her way behind the counter, and I was left wondering and having no idea how I reserved a room at this inn. I heard Tatl muttering something about having a place to sleep.

"Here's your room key, Mr. Link. Make sure you keep it safe so that you don't lose it." She placed the key into my hands. "Your room should be our 'Knife Chamber'. It's on the second floor, the second door to your right as you go up the stairs and pass the veranda."

I stood motionless after thinking about the directions that Anju just gave me. The veranda... I wondered if it was the same veranda that Tatl pointed out, the one that had a giant bell. Then I remembered Tatl telling me she spotted a boy hiding under that bell.

"Ah, Excuse me miss. Where did you say the veranda was?" I asked hurriedly.

"Oh, It's the first door to you left once you reach the top of the stairway..."

I followed Anju's directions and rushed up the nearby stairs until I reached the door that would lead me to the veranda. Before I had a chance to grab the doorknob, Tatl suddenly flew in front of me.

"Don't make any noise when you're opening the door."

"I know that!" I answered back, before jumping to grab hold of the doorknob. It gave a small 'click' before I slowly opened the door. Sure enough, I saw the bell at the edge of the fenced roof. I looked to the ground and noticed a pair of feet under the bell. Hoping the my small Deku form wouldn't make much noise, I carefully tip-toed my way towards the hidden boy and tried to position myself where I was sure I was facing the boy's back.

I crouched down.

Then I jumped.

And the next thing I knew, I was on top of the boy as he lay on his stomach. He grunted in defeat.

"Jeez...it didn't take long for you to catch me." He said. I got off him and crawled out from under the bell, and I waited from him to come after me. When he got his bearings, the boy turned back to face me, and smiled. "Keep this up, and Jim might even try to make you a member of the Bombers' Gang."

"You think so?" I asked curiously, while not really sure to take it as a compliment.

"Don't count on it."

When I saw the boy heading for the door leading back inside the inn, I asked where he was heading off to. He told me that he was going back to the park, because that was where their gang met if they were caught. After the boy had left, I walked over to the fence and looked over the city streets.

'_That wasn't so bad.'_ I thought. _'If I could keep this up, I'll be able to find the Bombers' Gang in no time, and I may get a new lead on Skull Kid. Maybe...'_

"Come on, Link." Tatl said. "Let's go back to where the Clock Tower is. Maybe we can find another one of those kids if we looked around there."

"Yeah." I jumped off the roof, landing on a nearby patch of flowers. "So do you know which way we need to go to get back to the clock tower?" I asked as looked around the area.

"Um, well...your guess is as good as mine."

"Great, thanks." I figured I should start anywhere I could. Clock Town really was a huge place. I didn't notice until now how fast this part of the city got a little more crowded. I saw many different things as I looked around. I even came across a pair of jugglers who looked so much alike that I thought they were twins. As soon as I tore my gaze away from them, I saw another passage that looked as though it led to the lower areas of the city. I decided to follow it, seeing as it was the first trail I found since getting out of the inn.

"Clock Town sure is a busy place." I thought out loud.

"Weren't you listening to that innkeeper-lady?" Tatl said irritably. "People are getting ready for a carnival."

"Wait a minute, haven't you been here before? I thought you knew you're way around this place."

"Not exactly, but what about you? How could you have reserved a room at that inn if you say you're never been here before?"

"I have no idea."

Sounds of clashing tools brought my attention back to where I was going. I was back to the place where the Clock Tower was. I tried walking around while hiding behind a few stalls as I passed by them, hoping that I would cross paths with that stray dog again.

"Hey, Deku Kid!"

A man stood in front of me, his huge arms were folded over his chest, and he didn't seem to be in a good mood.

"This is a construction area. Only carpenters and volunteers are allowed to be here, so find some place else to go play if you don't want to get hurt."

"Sorry, sir." I eyes darted towards a nearby set of stairs, and I ran to that direction until I was sure that I was well out of the area.

* * *

The sun was brighter then usual, or maybe the heat was getting to him. He tried to wipe the sweat from his bald head, his face furrowed when it didn't help much. Well, after supervising a group of carpenters, watching them work for hours in the morning; one would wonder how anyone would not get cranky from that job. 

"You all better quickin' up the pace, boys!" He hollered to his employees. "The festival tower ain't gonna finish buildin' itself."

One of the carpenters who volunteered to help build the tower, came up to face his supervisor with a large wooden beam over his shoulder, and a timid expression on his face.

"But Mutoh, what if the rumors are true? We'll have to evacuate as well, don't we?" His voice was hesitant, seeming afraid to hear the response of the man in front of him.

Listen to yourself! Believing in a false theory makes you a fool! If the people of this city abandons this year's carnival because of something so ridiculous, then you're all cowards!"

Mutoh then reached into his pocket to grab hold of his pocket watch. After taking a quick glance of it, he looked back towards the carpenters.

"I have a meeting to get to. I better not find any of you boys slackin' off when I get back. Is that clear?"

All the workers answered. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

Once I was sure I was away from the construction sight, I stopped to catch my breath and took a moment to look at my surroundings. This was a small area. A dirt path led down a small hill towards my left, also there was a wooden bench in the corner against a brick wall. The dirt path passed the bench, and ended at the base of a bridge built over a narrow water current that flowed from the right. There was only one tree in this place, and bushes and flowers surrounded its trunk. 

I went to sit on the bench. While rocking my feet back and forth, I sighed quietly, hearing nothing but the rushing water and the croaks of nearby frogs.

"This place, I said while thinking. "It's too small for any of those bombers to be hiding. And I don't think they'd hide in that construction sight either."

I took another good look around. "...Maybe we should try someplace else, Tatl..."

When I heard no reply from her, I called her name again, this time with a worried tone. Slowly, she flew at my side. Her wings fluttered with unusual gentleness. It somehow gave me the idea that she might be thinking about something.

"Tatl, is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure." She sound so different than her usual moodiness, I didn't know what to make of it. "I just thought I... felt something."

I said nothing, but decided to take one last look around the area, this time with more caution. Nothing moved but the fish swimming in the water and the light swaying of the grass and tree leaves. Just when I figured that nothing was here, I heard a sound. It was sort of like a rustling bush, but a little different.

I stayed quiet, hoping to hear that sound again. I did, and this time it sounded more like a sniffle. I then turned towards the tree, approaching it with slow and careful steps. Luckily for me, this worked in my favor.

Facing the bushes, I had to keep myself from snickering. Then I leaped to catch a surprised boy in his hiding place.

The little bomber squirmed under my feet. "I didn't know deku scrubs were so tricky."

"Oh please," Tatl said sarcastically. "You shouldn't be so obvious when you're hiding from somebody. Besides, there wasn't anything 'tricky' about it."

After taking a step away from him, I extended my hand towards the boy, helping him up to his feet. "Sorry about that." I said to him, while he brushed himself off.

"That's okay." He looked back up the dirt trail. "Well, guess I've got to go back to the park." He then hurried off, but not before wishing me good luck finding the rest of the Bombers' Gang.

'_That makes two down.'_ I thought to myself.

"There's no one else here, Link." Tatl said. "Let's get going."

Nodding in agreement, I followed the path leading back to the construction area.

* * *

Anju sighed exhaustedly. She had lost track of time yet again. Afternoon was fast approaching, and she could do nothing but rush to finish preparing lunch, because she knew there were afternoon guests coming to the inn. While stirring the boiling soup over the stove, Anju thought absently about her busy day. She would be glad to sleep tonight. 

Anju then heard her mother enter the kitchen and she stood next to her, eyeing the pot on the stove. She then faced her.

"Anju dear, will you be alright if I leave the inn for a while?"

Fetching a pair of woven mittens, Anju carefully grabbed the handle of the pot and moved it away from the heated stove. "Is anything wrong, mother?" she asked.

"I'm heading over to the Mayor's Office to have a little talk with Madame Aroma."

At that moment, Anju went stiff, uncertain about what she had just heard. Her mother seemed to have noticed her sudden disposition, but she acted no different.

After a moment, Anju replied with a low and uneasy voice."…Is it about _'him'_?"

Her mother sighed. "Honey, I know that what you're going through must be hard for you, but I have a bad feeling about this whole situation, and I don't think it's safe to stay here and wait." She slightly turned away from Anju's gaze. "We may even have to leave town very soon…"

Anju nearly dropped the wooden spoon she held in her hand. "But we can't…" she said without thinking. "Not when the carnival is still on."

"That has yet to be decided, Anju. I heard that the Mayor is having a meeting about it this morning."

Anju hung her head low in disbelief. "Even if we do have to leave, the town guards won't let us pass the city walls…"

She then felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and she looked up to meet her mother's face. She looked just as displeased as her daughter did.

"We'll do whatever is necessary to survive. I think that's our first priority right now."

* * *

It was just my luck, catching sight of two more bombers in the same place. That was half the problem. I still had to catch them. 

I haven't chased any of the boys until now, when Tatl and I spotted them in the far-west sector of the city. Those boys were fast runners; they would go up and down a large staircase leading back to the City Square. I had to be thankful for the columns and flowerbeds that ran along the stairs, because I figured it was sheer luck that I could cut off one of the boys' path to catch him.

I still had to worry about the second bomber. He ran towards the passage out of this area, but not before taunting me by blowing raspberries. I sighed. This was starting to feel like a long day.

As I followed him, I realized I was slowly falling behind. He led us around the clock tower and back in the park, when I caught a glimpse of him heading for the brushes in the playground to hide.

I stopped to catch my breath, and looked to the bomber's direction. He'd hear me come for him before I'd get the chance to catch him. I had to think of something.

Then it hit me. Looking around to find the giant flower from before. I remembered using it to hide from that dog that chased me around. I flinched at the memory.

"_**You can use that flower again."**_

I stood stiff when I heard it, the same voice that told me to use the flower in the first place.

"_**Do what I tell you and get to it."**_

Careful to make my way to the flower, I also positioned myself where I was out of the bomber's sight. Looking at the flower in front of me, I remembered the feeling of 'diving' into it. That was one of the strangest things I've ever felt, but it also felt as though I wasn't the one doing it.

"_**Dive into the flower, and I'll take it from there."**_

'_Take it from there? What did that mean?'_

And so I did, twisting my way inside until only my snout was showing. I kept still, trying to ready myself for whatever was about to happen next.

"_**Use your feet to push your way out of the flower. Put as much force as you can."**_

What happened took me by surprise. When I did so, I was launched high into the air, nearly as high as the walls that bordered Clock Town. I froze. The only thing that crossed my mind was the upcoming fall.

But there was none. Confused, I looked up and saw that I was holding large flowers in my hands. Their petals revolved rapidly, catching the wind to keep me hovering above the ground. This was so strange; I've never seen this sort of thing before. What confused me the most was how I knew how to do it.

"_**Try tilting the flowers forward to get above that boy."**_

Doing as I was told, I slowing approached the bushes and caught the bomber in my sights. I waited until I would be right in front of him before I let go of the flowers. When I did, the bomber realized he had no time to escape when I caught his arm.

There were sounds of 'oohs' and 'awes', and then I turned to see the three boys I caught standing against a wall across from where I was. They must have watched me when I was flying. As both the fourth boy I caught and I walked towards the others, Tatl flew back at my side.

"That was pretty impressive." She said. "When did you learn that?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't know."

"Well, only one more to go. Let's hurry and find Jim already."

That's right. I didn't realize until now that the only boy missing was the ringleader. I took another look around the park, almost certain that he wasn't hiding in this place. But then I caught a glimpse of him hiding behind a tree not far from the giant flower.

Not wasting any time, I charged for the tree while also being careful not to trip over my own feet. By the time I reached the tree to grab Jim, he dodged my lunge and I fell flat on my face.

While lifting myself up with a groan, I could hear the boys cheering for their leader, as well as Tatl's yelling beside me.

"What are you goofing around for? Hurry up and catch him!"

"Easy for you to say." I muttered silently so that she couldn't hear me.

"He's heading for the slide!"

I watched Jim scurry off behind the slide at the other end of the playground. _'This is stupid.'_ I thought. _'I can't keep running for him head on, he'll just get away from me again. I'll have to think of something else.'_

"_**Distract him."**_

I nearly jumped when I suddenly heard that voice again.

'_How am I supposed to do that?'_ I asked.

"_**Use that nut for a brain of yours."**_

I grunted at the useless advice, but then the idea sunk in.

Nut.

I dug a hand into my pouch, sighing in relief that I still had a handful of Deku nuts I bought for Gods know how long. Looking back to the slide, I had to try and get closer to Jim without making so much noise. I couldn't try the trick with the flower again, he might be thinking that I'll use that trick against him too.

I carefully crept my way to one side of the slide. I knew that Jim was on the other. Glancing back to where the other boys were, I glared at them, warning them not to make a noise to help their leader. Looking above the slide, I noticed wooden fences covered in vines, acting as a border for the playground. I aimed, and threw a nut towards it. As soon as it hit the fence, I sprinted to get to Jim.

My plan worked. Jim's focus went to what hit the fence, and I was able to get a hold of his arm. Once he realized it, he groaned in defeat.

The game of hide and seek was finally over.

* * *

"I'm sorry sir," Anju bowed apologetically behind her desk. "We're completely booked with reservations. There are no more vacancies today..." She always felt bad at times like this, when she had to turn people down. She gave the traveler- a Goron- a sad face. 

"But I had a reservation." Said the stone-like creature. "It should be under the name, Link- goro."

Anju blinked. "Mr. Link- Goro? But there's no reservation under that name." She looked to her desk. "Although, there's one name close to that..." she muttered silently.

"But this can't be right."

Just then, Anju heard the inn's door open. She sighed, and hoped that it wasn't another unfortunate customer. She was slightly relieved to see that it was the postman that had entered.

"A moment of your time, Miss Anju," he said. "I have a letter for you."

Anju turned back to the Goron in front of her. "I'm terribly sorry."

The Goron looked down disappointedly. "That's alright." He then turned towards the entrance. "It's a nice day today. I think I'll take a stroll around the city- goro."

Anju watched as the Goron walked out of the inn, feeling pity for him. Her attention then went to the postman, who stood by the door.

"You mentioned a letter?"

He walked towards her, and handed an envelope to her. "Here it it, milady." Raising his signature cap in salutation, he was on his way out.

Anju looked at the envelope curiously, seeing no sign of who or where it was from. After carefully tearing it and taking out the letter, she began to read it. Anju then let the envelope fall to the floor.

And she gasped.


End file.
